I think that the 20min rule is the culprit for preventing long freight trips.
I find it impossible to satisfy the freight demand for towns on a map that do not have complete production chains located nearby. Bringing in a commodity from a distance any further than the distance to the next town is impossible due to transport time exceeding the 20min rule. High frequency dedicated freight line do not work over longer distances, even with high frequency service.
What we need is a clever modder to create a mod that enables us to vary the 20min rule for freight, and also (ideally separately) for passengers as well.
